The Unexpected Insight of Baba Sali

"Bou-Anan" was a small town in the Tafillalt district of Morocco. A young but wise rabbi, Rabbi Israel Abuchatzeira, known as Baba Sali, had recently taken up the role of the regional rabbi. He was celebrated not only for his own pious acts but also as a descendant of holy figures like his grandfather, Rabbi Yaakov Abuchatzeira, and his father, Rabbi Masoud.

In Bou-Anan, there was an elderly shochet (ritual slaughterer) who had served in his role for many years. One day, the villagers noticed something unusual—none of the animals he slaughtered were ever deemed non-kosher. It seemed inexplicable! Normally, the majority of animals are found non-kosher, and even having fifty percent kosher is considered a great success. But here, none?

The community sent a messenger to Baba Sali to investigate this strange occurrence. Baba Sali summoned the shochet, tested his knowledge of the laws of slaughter, and found him to be exceptionally knowledgeable. However, when Baba Sali inspected the shochet's knife, he discovered, to his dismay, that it was defective...

Baba Sali understood that due to his old age, the shochet could no longer sense the knife's defects during inspections (a slaughter knife must not even have the slightest defect, as it could cause undue pain to the animal; a sharper knife means less suffering during slaughter. The knife is checked by running a specific nail test after sharpening). Therefore, Baba Sali asked a young student well-versed in the laws of slaughter to move to the village, allowing the elderly shochet to continue his work, but only after showing his knife to the young shochet.

Initially, the elder agreed, and this arrangement continued for some time. However, his pride soon got the better of him. How could he, so experienced and skilled, show his knife to a shochet barely in his twenties?! He refused vehemently!

The townspeople decided they would only eat the meat slaughtered by the young shochet, not the elder's. The elderly shochet, having many connections with the French governor of the region, refused to give up. He traveled to major Moroccan cities like Rabat and Midelt, asking the rabbinical authorities there to issue him a letter attesting to his expertise in slaughter laws.

Polite inquiries followed from the rabbis, "Where are you from, honored one?"

The shochet replied he was from the Tafillalt district. "If so," the rabbis nodded knowingly, "Baba Sali officiates there. Only he can issue such a letter. We do not interfere with his actions, as his wisdom in Torah surpasses ours, even though he is much younger than us."

The elder shochet was furious. He turned to the French governor, with whom he had a close relationship, fabricating stories about Baba Sali, "Why would the rabbis refuse me? Only because Baba Sali has already sent letters to defame me to them. Please instruct the rabbis to disregard him and give me the needed recommendation."

"He wrote them letters, and they listened to him?" the governor wondered. "Yes," was the reply.

"If so," mused the governor, "how dare you challenge such a holy man who, despite his young age, is highly respected and valued by all the great rabbinical leaders?!"

Not only did the governor refuse to entertain the elder shochet's requests against Baba Sali, but his curiosity about the young rabbi, whom the great and mighty rabbis refused to oppose, grew. That very week, the French governor arranged to meet with Baba Sali and honored him greatly. After the meeting, the governor's admiration for Baba Sali increased manifold. Thereafter, he took special care of the Jews, respecting and honoring them for their holy rabbi. May his merit shield us, amen.